Address-plate holder



C. CHISHOLM.

' ADDRESS PLATE HOLDER.

APPLlcATloN FILED SEPT. 16. 1920;

1 ,438,578, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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ADDRESS PLATE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. IE. |923j Patented Dec.12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. l2, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T AMERICAN MULTIGRAPHCOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ADDRESS-PLATE HOLDER.

Application led September 16, 1920. Serial No. 410,710.

To all whom if may conce rm Be it known that I, CLIFTON CHIsHoLM, a.citizen of the United States. residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented acertain new and usefulImprovement in Address-Plate Holders, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to address plates and holders therefor. It isparticularly concerned with plate-like mounting frames for carrying theplates to facilitate conveying apld handling both mechanically and manuay.

In the use of address plates for multi-copy work. letter work, etc., theplates are ordinarily stored in filing drawers and are re moved from thefiling drawers and presented to the printing mechanism and are thenagain assembled in the same or a corresponding order and stored. By myinvention the conveying of these plates to and from the machine, thestorage and mechanical indexing thereof. as well as the mechanicalautomatic selection of the plates for addressing purposes is greatlyfacilitated. The machines in which such address platesV are useful arethose having automatic means for removing the plates from a column orstack and conveying them past the inking and printing mechanism, andthen depositing them in another stack or column, the con* veying beingaccomplished by the use of flexible members engaging the sides or endsof the plates. An example of such a machine, is that shown and describedin my co-pending application on an address printing mechanism filedNovember 26th, 192() Serial No. 426,412.

The particular objects of my invention include the provision of plateholders having such characteristics that the holders with the addressplates may be most conveniently handled by addressing machines used forprinting addresses on letters, circulars, cards, envelopes, etc., andthe particular invention is concerned with the construction of such aplate holder, which is simple and durable and nay be comparativelycheaply manufacture Another object contemplated by the present inventionis to provide a plate holder that may be readily stacked in the magazineof such a machine directly from a filing drawer and removed therefrom,conveyed past the inking and printing mechanism and returned to thedrawer in proper filing order.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means on the plateholder for controlling the ink supplying means in an addressing machinewhereby the inking means is prevented from coming in contact with anyportion of the device except the embossed characters in the platecarried thereby.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means whereby theprintin matter carried by the holder may be readiy discerned from eitherside of the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing theprinting plate from becoming dislodged when passing throu h the machine.

A urther object is to provide means for preventing the indexing meanscarried by the holder from becoming displaced when passing through themachine.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described in connection with aconvenient embodimnt of the same as shown in the drawings, and theessential characteristics of the invention are set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a front elevation of the plate asit is seen from the front of the filing drawer, While Fig. 2 is a viewof the plate holder `as seen from the rear of the drawer; Fig. 3 is anend view of the plate holder which clearly shows its compact andcomparatively thin construction, while Fig. 4 1s a view of the embossedprinting plate which is adapted to be slidabl mounted on the plateholder.; Fig. 5 1s a iiagmentary section "substantially along the line 55, of Fig. 1, while Fig. e is a section along the line 6 6 of the sameview; and Fi 7 is a similar section substantially along t e line 7 7 inFig. 8 I have shown a section along the line 8 8 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 9is a section substantially along the line 9 9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is aview of an adjustable indexing tab which is adapted to be uicklyattached at the top of the plate hol er; Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 aresectional views of the plate holder in transit through an addressinmachine.

The plate older is particularly designed sheet of metal in such a mannerthat the thickness of the holder in combination with the plate may bevery small in order that a large number ot the holders may be stacked inone drawer.

Referring to the various parts by nu- 'merals, in Fig. l, a thin sheetmetal blank with the rectangular opening 3 and the i1'` regular opening4 is bent along the parallel edges 2 and 10 to form the clips 11'aud 12,which provide retainin means for holding the printing plate rigi ly inthe holder and against the back of the plate holder 9. An inverted head18 is also formed in the sheet at the time the openings 3 and 4. as wellas the indented portions T and 8 arc formed.

I also have provided recesses 15 inthe printing plate 1G, which arespaced equal distances from the ends oi' the plate, anyone of which isadapted to be engaged by the indented portion T of the clip 12, and withthe plate stop lug 33 serves to accurately register the printing plateas it is being mounted on the holder and to retain it in that positionthereafter. The corners of the plate are also trimmed to facilitate thesliding of the plate as it is being inserted. This movement is inwardlyfrom the right hand side of the plate holder. The opening 3 in theholder provides access to the back of the plate for gripping it wheninserting and removing the same.

This opening also exposes the back of the plate so that the printingcharacters embossed thereon may be easily read, as the characters appearin their normal reading position from the back of the thin plate intowhich they are embossed.

y The identifying card 19 ma be inserted from the same side of the hoder, and the indented portion 8 of the clip 18 serves as a stop for thesame on the right hand side of the holder.

It is essential that means be provided for protecting the embossedcharacters on the plate when the holders are stacked in filing drawersto protect the backs of the holders from coming in contact with theadjacent plates, and it is also desirable tol provide a lateralstitlening means on the holder. To accomplish this I prefer to form therails 13 am 14 by tnrnin the ends of the sheet from which the holder isshaped over and under the bod portion of the holder with the upper en s36 rotrndin beyond the upper margin of the liolder. he lower ends of therails are adapted to be engaged by flexible conveying means while theupper extending ends may serve to protect the removable indexing tab 20,as will be hereinafter described.

To facilitate the locating of a certain holder contained in the filingdrawer 1 have provided an indexing tab which may carry letters, names ofcities, etc., and which may be adapted to be slidably mounted at the topof the holder. A tab which may be conveniently used in shown in Fig. 10.This tab is formed of a narrow strip of metal with a letter face 2l anda clamping portion 22 with its end slightly beaded and the elongatedportion 23 on the back of the tab. which acts as a stabilizer when thetab iS snapped over the top ot' the plate holder. This tab may be placedalong the top of the holder anywhere within the width of the shorterpart of the opening 4.

To insure proper inking of the embossed printing plate and to avoid anyconsequent smearing of the ink I have incorporated an inking controllingmeans directly within the plate holder. 0n the front of the holder andat the sides I have provided parallel indentations 25 in line with therails 13 and 14 and opposite the ends of the printing plate which mayserve the following purpose as the chain 34. with properly spaced raisedlinks 35` paes beneath the stack of holders in the magazine of themachine, the links 35 engage the ends of the rails 13 and 14 and conveyit from beneath the stack of holders to the ink roller 26. at which timethe projecting ends 36 come in contact with the ink roller wheels 2T andraise the ink roller to clear the indexing tab 2() and clip 12. and uponreaching the indented portions 25 of the holder the wheels 2T losecontact with the holder` thus causing the ink roller to come in contactwith the raised or em bossed portions 17 of the printing plate. By thisarrangement I prevent the ink roller from coming in contact with theplate holder and only in contact with those ortions of the printingplate which are em ossed. As the plate passes the ink roller, the rolleris again raised by the portion of the rail 37, which holds the rollerout of contact with the portion 11 of the plate holder. In Fig. 14 Ihave shown the plate holder passing over the rotary )laten 30 andbeneath the compression rol 31. While being conveyed by the chain 32 andwhen passing between the rolls 31 and 30, the holder becomes separatedfrom the conveyingchan 34 and is guided by suitable means to the filingdrawer, where it is restacked automatically in proper order.

It is to he seen from the foregoing de-l scriptlon of my invention thatI have conf' rectl under the plate location, it is possible to i entifythe printing characters of the plate by reading the embossed letters asseen from the rear of the holder or by reading the identifying cardcarried on the front or printing side of the holder.

It will be understood, furthermore, that by havin this opening in theback of the p ate hol er the act of mounting the printing plate upon theholder or the dismounting of the same is greatly expedited, as it ispossible to grasp both sides of the plate when sliding it on the holder.

It will also be seen that b havin the ink controlling means embodiedirect in the holder so that the inking period 1s determined by therelative movement of the holder to the inking mechanism, I haveeliminated the possibilities of the holder or plate gathering ink at anyplace except where desired, and consequently avoid soiling thecorrespondence being addressed by the lates. y,

aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An address plate holder having a printing plate mounted thereon, andhaving an identifying card retaining means located above said plate andextending over the upper edge of the same, whereby said card retainingmeans may also act as part of the plate retaining means.

2. In a device of the character described, a plate holder having aprinting plate and an identifying card removably mounted there- Von, andelongated apertures through which the printed matter on said plate andsaid card may be read, and a removable index tab mounted above one ofsaid apertures.

3. In a device of the character described, a plate .holder having aprinting plate mounted thereon, and having means for controlling aninking mechamsm.

4. In a device of the character described, a plate holder having aprinting plate mounted thereon, and lhaving means for maintaining theink roller of an inking mechanism out of contact with the surfaces ofsaid holder. f

5. In a device of the character described,

a plate holder having an embossed printing plate mounted thereon, andhaving means for maintaining the ink roller of an inking mechanism outof contact with the unembossed surfaces of said printing plate.

6. In a device of the character described, a plate holder having aprinting late mounted thereon,` and means for contro ling an ink rollerincluding indented portions in said holder op osite the ends of saidplate, whereby c lin rical members mounted coaxially wit said ink rollerray lose contact with the surface of said holder, and rmit the inkroller to come in contact with t e embossed sections of said plate.

7 As an article of manufacture, a plate 4 holder having transverse dan son opposite sides and having the longitu l sides foldv. apertures arearranged -two flan s whereby. the latter will ed over to form retaininmeans for a printing plate and an identi ying card.

8. As an article of manufacture, a plate holder havin a part of itslongitudinal margins turned inwardly and substantially parallel with thesurface of the bod part of the plate holder, one of said turne portionsbeing inwardl beaded to define channel parallel with saidy longitudinalmargin. i

9. As an article of manufacture, a plate holder havin upper and lowerlongitudinal portions fol ed back upon the undistorted section of theholder, said upper portion having an elongated aperture therein and thesaid lower portion being substantially narrower than the upper portion.

10. As an article of manuufacture, a `plate holder having transverseflanges extending beyond the upper edge of the holder, and an elongatedaperture between said flanges.

11. As an article of manufacture, a plate holder having depressionstherein and having transverse flanges, said depressions being locatedparallel with said flanges and the body portion of said plate.

12. As an article of manufacture, a plate holder comprising a centralportion having the edge portions thereof folded inwardly to define cardholding and inking control means.

13, A plate holder comprising a, body part having an aperture therein, apair of flanges, one at either edge of said body part, said flangesbeing folded to lie parallel to said body part and the ends thereofbeing bent at right angles to the folded portion of the flanges, thebody part adjacent each flange being providedwith a depression., a flapon said body part bent to lie thereover, aseoond flap having an aperturetherein and bent to lie upon, the body portion, the edges of said flapbeing arranged adjacent said first mentioned aperture whereby the twoone above the other, the line of bendin of said second flap being withinthe area efined by the ends of the ro'ect above t e body portion in thenis ed article.

14. A plate holder comprising a body part having a large aperturetherein, a. pair of flanges, one at 'either edge of said bod` rt, saidflanges being folded to lie rar-af:

el to said body part and the ends t ereof being bent at right angles tothe folded portion of the flanges, thebody adjacent each flange beingrovided with a depression, a flap on sai body part bent to`liethereover, a second flap Having anl a rture therein and .bent to lieupon the y portion, the edges of said flap being arranged adjacent saidfirst mentioned aperture, whereb theA two apertures are arranged oneabove t e other the line of bending of said second; flap within the areadefined by the ends of the two flanges. whereby the latter will projectabove the body )ortion in the finished article. said second flap beingprovided with a set of retaining beads and a. slidahle index tab mountedto engage and move along an edge of said second mentioned aperture. l

15. A plate holder having a printing plate mounted thereon and havingribbed ends with depressions extending longitudinal of the ribs. and aninking device` having contact members adapted to occupy the depressionswhen the inlring device is to be active and to be out of the depressionswhen said device is to be inactive. A

1G. An individual address form holder having an embossed member mountedthereon and having its ends turned backwardly to make hollow ribs, therebeing depressions extending longitudinal of the ribs. and an inkingdevice having contact members adapted to occupy the depressions when theinking device is to be active and to be out of the depressions when saiddevice is to be inactive.

17. In a device of the character described, an individua-l address formholder having a rinting member mounted thereon, and havlng means forcont-rolling an inking mechanism.

18. In a device of the character' described. a holder having printingmeans mounted thereon, and having means for maintaining the ink rollerof an inking mechanism out of contact with the non-printing surfaces ofsaid holder.

19. In a device of the character described, a holder having an embossedprinting member mounted thereon, and having means for maintaining theink roller of an inking mechanism out of contact with the unem' bossedsurfaces of said member.

20. ln a device of the character described, a holder having alremlmssedprinting member mounted thereon. and means for controlling an ink rollerincludingr indented portions in said holder opposite the ends of saidmember, whereby cylindrical members mounted coaxially with said inkroller may loose contact with the surface of said holder, and permit theink roller to come into contact with the embossed sections of saidmember.

21. In a device of the character described, a plate holder. and means onythe plate holder adapted to enact with an `inking device whereby.during the operation of printing. ink is supplied to a portion only ofthe plate holder.

E22. A printing plate holder comprising a body part having anidentifying card secured thereon and also having a member provided withprinting characters thereon, and means on said holder wghereby an inking roller may be passed over the plate holder to ink said printingcharacters without inking the identifying card.

23. In a device of the character described, a printing member comprisinga plate holder having embossed printing characters associated therewithand having means thereon for controlling an inking mechanism, wherebythe inkng mechanism may be moved toward the printing member only whenthe printing characters are beneath said inking member. f

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

CLIFTON CHISHOLM.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified um the assignee in Leners Patent No. 1,438,578,grunted December 12, 1922, upon the application of Clifton Chisholm, ofCleveland, Ohio, for an improvement in AddressPla.te Holders, waserroneously described and specified as American Multgraph Company,whereas said aignee should .have been described and specified as Themaricon Hultigrpk Company, as shown by the records of assignments inthis nfce; and that the seid Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Gmac.

Signed and sealed this 9th dey of January, A. D., 1923. i

[mh] KARL FENNING,

` Acting 0mm,- of Pme.

